"Visit of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales to Vancouver, BC Sept. 1919. Col. Markham introducing Capt. Mellish." Photo from City of Vancouver Archives. On 22 September, 1919 HRH Edward, The Prince of Wales, 25, visited Vancouver, BC. There was a civic reception and a military ball in the Arena in the evening with tickets at $5. He visited other areas of Greater Vancouver and opened the New Westminster Exhibition. Prior to the ball he attended a dinner as a guest of the Vancouver Club. Members went to great lengths such as painting the ladies’ lavatory, providing an electrical display of the Prince's motto "Ich Dien", arranging for HRH's favorite flowers (sweet peas), and engaging the services of Mr. Copley's orchestra, tucked away in the dining room's bay window. (The Prince later went on to become King Edward VIII, but abdicated in 1936.) Captain Arthur James Benjamin Mellish, ED, VD was an early engaged officer of the 72nd Regiment. He transferred to the Regiment from the 82nd Abegweit Light Infantry Regiment on 24 February, 1911. On 29 April, 1911 he became the Acting Officer Commanding "C" Company. He transferred to "H" Company on 9 June, 1911. Captain Clarke took over "C" Company. On 10 December, 1911, he transferred to the Corps Reserve. It does not appear that he served in the CEF. He MAY have had a role in the Seaforth Depot during the Great War. Mellish had previously served in South Africa in 1899. He was in the First Contingent (Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry) which was composed of seven Companies, recruited from the various parts of the Dominion. The formation by Company and District was as follows: A Company, British Columbia and Manitoba. B Company, London, Ontario. C Company, Toronto, Ontario. D Company, left half, Kingston and vicinity; right half, Ottawa, Ontario. E Company, Montreal. F Company, Quebec. G Company, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. H Company, Nova Scotia. Each Company consisted of 125 men, which, with the staff and officers, brought the total force up to 1019. The mobilization of the Contingent took place at Quebec, and on October 30th, 1899, the Sardinian, of the Allan Line, bearing Canada's initial quota of fighting men, sailed on her voyage to Cape Town. On the 13th, November the Sardinian was reported at Cape Verde Islands, having made a quick and uneventful passage to that point. From Cape Verde the steamer touched at no port till Cape Town was reached on November 29th. Book - For the Flag (pages 152 - 153): Though the smallest of all the Provinces of Canada, Prince Edward Island is not the least in point of loyalty. When volunteers were wanted for the war many more of the Islanders applied for enrollment than could be accepted ; and those who succeeded in accomplishing their desire afterwards amply proved not only their claim to be termed loyal but also their right to be recognized as courageous. Privates Taylor and Riggs killed in action, F. Waye and John Harris, seriously wounded, N. Brace and A. J. B. Mellish wounded yet refusing to give in, Lome Stewart earning deserved promotion, F, McRae and J. O'Reilly fording the Modder River with the Maxim Gun, H. Brown staying by his sick Captain, and H. McKinnon, E. Bowness, .\. Rodd and A. Dillon , with those others who, either by active deeds of heroism or patient endurance of unwonted hardships, wounds and disease have ennobled themselves, have at the same time, reflected honor upon the little island of their birth. Sergeant Mellish, in charge of a detachment of troops on the homeward route, had the honor of replying, on behalf of Canada, at a banquet tendered the Canadians, to a speech by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool in the splendid Town Hall of that city ; and, later on, of receiving a magni- ficent reception from the loyal inhabitants of Newfoundland— his detachment being the only body of khaki-clad soldiers to visit the ancient colony ; while private Lord was amongst those who were received by the Queen at Windsor Castle. The First Contingent which left P. E. Island consisted of 30 men under command of Major Weeks, with Miss Pope as Nurse and Rev. T. F. Fullerton as Chaplain. FIRST CONTINGENT: Walter Lane, J. Edward Small, Fred. Waye, Ernest W. Bowness, Fred. B. McRae, LeRoy Harris, James L. Walker, R. Ernest Lord, Sergt. L. Stewart, Thomas A. Rodd, ArtemJs R. Dillon, Sergt. A. J. B. Mellish, ex-Lieut.; Hurdis L. McLean, Herbert H. Brown, Charles Hine, Lawrence Gaudet, John Boudreau, Necy Doiron, Alfred Riggs, John A. Harris, J. O'Reilly, Hedley V. McKinnon, Roland D. Taylor. Fred. C. Furze, Nelson Brace, James Matheson, M. J. McCarthy, Joshua T. Leslie, Michael J. Foley, Reginald Cox. Captain Mellish also served in the Northwest (Riel) Rebellion in 1885. The North-West Rebellion (or North-West Resistance) was a violent, five-month insurgency against the Canadian government, fought mainly by Métis militants and their Aboriginal allies in what is now Saskatchewan and Alberta. Just over 5,000 militia men from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia were mobilized to fight the rebels. (TO BE CONFIRMED) Mellish was President of the Canadian Club at Harvard University. The Canadian Club of Harvard University was composed of the officers, graduates and undergraduates of the University who are of Canadian birth, or who take an especial interest in the Dominion of Canada. Its objects are to afford a means of reunion for Canadian students in Cambridge, and to facilitate the acquisition of information by students in Canada desirous of pursuing advanced courses at Harvard. The Club was organized in March, 1890. He was also in the Harvard Union. He went school there in at least 1892 - 1893. The Prince Edward Island Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. Originally founded in 1875 as the Queen's County Provisional Battalion of Infantry, it went through several name changes, being renamed the Queen's County Battalion of Infantry in 1876, the 82nd Queen's County Battalion of Infantry in 1879, the 82nd Abegweit Light Infantry in 1906, and The Prince Edward Island Regiment in 1920. It acquired its final title in 1927. 'Abegweit' is a Mi'kmaq word translating to 'cradled on the waves' as a reference to Prince Edward Island. The regiment was disbanded in 1946.